


Golden Ashes

by horologiiums



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Hallucinations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 14:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21199352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horologiiums/pseuds/horologiiums
Summary: Claude seeks one final dance with Edelgard.





	Golden Ashes

He had been the one to approach her and when he offered her his palm, she appeared quite perplexed, looking into his eyes rather than at his physical greeting. Nevertheless, her expression softened after a breath and she settled her hand against his, allowing him to lead and position themselves accordingly.

Claude led Edelgard into step and before long, they blended in with all of the other nobles surrounding them — twirling and spinning and dancing around a brightly lit ballroom.

“I’m impressed. You’ve gotten quite good at this.” Edelgard said her observation aloud and despite the subtle harshness of her word choice, she didn’t come off as demeaning at all. Rather, she sounded genuinely surprised, as though the very idea of Claude being able to dance was some sort of impossibility.

He flashed a smirk at her, shrugging a shoulder. “What can I say? I’m a quick study.”

She failed to return his smile but he didn’t miss the way her lips twitched at the corners. Her stoic mask was as hard for him to break as ever. Claude wondered if there was a way that he could permanently change that.

“If only you had been this well-versed on your feet back then.” Edelgard began her verbal assault, not even realizing her own arrogance and haughty aura. “The professor complained to me about her aching toes for the next week. You really did a number on her.”

A tiny smile crept its way onto her mouth at the mentioning of “the professor” and Claude had to force himself to maintain his own beam.

Byleth. Such a shame.

“So, where do you go from here?” He changed the topic abruptly, his tone contrasting his look. His voice was cold, shallow. He didn’t need to explain what he was referring to. While it was already obvious what Edelgard’s desires were, he wanted to hear it from her directly, wanted to make sure that he had truly made the correct decision.

The sounds of the other nobles’ footsteps on the ballroom floor grew distant as Edelgard’s eyes narrowed and she frowned at him. “I believe I’ve already made myself clear.” She snapped, her grip on his hand tightening. “I will unite Fódlan and return it to its people.”

Claude watched her, took in her resolute glare, her unwavering convictions.

If he could have avoided it, he would have. If he could have risen to a position of supreme power, he wouldn’t have hesitated to do so. Though it was already too late for that.

“I see.” They stopped dancing but continued to hold onto each other regardless. The ballroom had fallen completely silent outside of their conversation; they were alone.

“It really is unfortunate.” Edelgard started and she grinned at him almost devilishly. “Your ideals are not so far removed from my own. You would have proven to be an ally most beneficial, Claude.” She paused. “Had you not inherited the title of Duke, had you not led the faction of the Alliance that opposes the Empire, things could have turned out much differently for us.”

It hadn’t been the first time he had heard her say those very words to him. He mirrored her expression. “I wholeheartedly agree. You would’ve been an excellent card for my sleeve, Edelgard. Had you not forcibly become Emperor of Adrestia, had you not resorted to such extremities and mindless bloodshed, we could’ve been on the same side.”

She returned to glaring at him the instant the words left his mouth and she stepped away, letting go of his hand. The room had gradually been growing darker, the candles on the hanging chandeliers flickering off one by one. Before long, it would be too difficult to accurately read her looks in the encompassing darkness.

“Is that all you wanted to say?” She asked plainly.

“Not exactly.” Claude’s easy smile fell from his lips and his jaw tightened. If Edelgard was perturbed by his change in disposition, she didn’t let it show. She dipped her chin a touch, prompting him to resume. “I want to make a deal.”

That got her mask to crack a touch, bewilderment flashing onto her features. It lasted only a moment before her brow furrowed again. “A deal?” She repeated dubiously. “You expect me to strike a deal with _ you _? Claude von Riegan, schemer, Master Tactician?”

He inwardly cringed at hearing that nickname but didn’t let it manifest physically. “Well, you don’t _ have _ to agree to it.” He shrugged, lolling his head to the side. “Just hear me out? Besides, you don’t honestly believe that I would try to scheme at this stage in the game, right?”

Edelgard eyed him, scowling through her long eyelashes before sighing, her shoulders sagging. She put a hand — the one Claude had held when they were dancing — on her hip. “Alright, I’m listening.”

He didn’t wait, immediately came out and said it. “If— no, _ when _ you succeed in uniting Fódlan, I want you to hold a peaceful dialogue with Almyra.” Edelgard straightened at that, lilac eyes going wide but Claude didn’t allow her a single breath to process his request. “Learn about their customs and teach the people of Fódlan about them. And in turn, educate Almyra about Fódlan. But don’t stop there. Keep expanding that reach — to Sreng, Brigid, Dagda and the lands beyond.” He inhaled through his mouth, chest rising. “No one but you can do this, Edelgard.”

Neither of them spoke for what felt like minutes but it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. Claude stood tall before Edelgard, determined, while she was shocked into stillness, her jaw lax and lips parted slightly.

Then, she laughed. Rather, it was more like a giggle. She lifted the hand that wasn’t on her hip to her mouth and shamelessly tittered into it. “Those are quite the lofty ambitions you’ve held onto.” She mused, lightly clearing her throat before she went on but her entertained grin didn’t abandon her. “And with them comes a great weight to carry.”

Claude winked at her, having expected her response to be something along those lines. “That’s how I know you’ll be able to do it. The weight of the burdens you’ve carried has never slowed you down before.”

Edelgard let out another single laugh at that. He could make out her hands falling back to her sides but beyond that, he could identify next to nothing. It was impossible to properly study her, all of the candles on the chandeliers having died out.

“You needn’t worry, Claude.” Her reassurance was uncalled for but it made the last remnants of heaviness on Claude’s own shoulders lift entirely. “It had been my intention from the start to hold peaceful talks with Almyra. As for the rest of the world, well, I’ll try in earnest to see your wishes through to the end.”

Claude smiled at her, not that she could have seen it.

So that was it then. It wasn’t ideal, far from it, but he supposed he would have to settle with what was handed to him. “Knew I could count on you.”

He turned at that, having nothing more to say. The heel of his shoe scraped on the floor, signalling to Edelgard his decision to leave.

Her reaction was instant, felt almost reflexive, like she had anticipated it.

“Halt. Your proposition makes up only _ your _half of our deal. What are you offering me in return?”

Claude chuckled lowly. If she had predicted his untimely departure from the moment he proposed his plans to her, he had spotted her cynicism looming over them since before he had even pulled her onto their make believe dance floor.

“I’ve already given you what you want.”

Her voice held no mirth. “And that is?”

Silence between them lasted for only a heartbeat — the crackling of crimson flames raging sparked around them on all sides, the blaze illuminating the ruined hall far more effectively than the chandeliers had.

Claude knew that if he were to look down, he would find himself standing in a pool of his own blood; knew that, behind him, the hand of Edelgard’s that he had held as they danced would be soaked with the same substance.

He pivoted back around. He could see Edelgard’s face clearly in the glow of the fire. She was trying to maintain her composure, grasping at her crumbling facade as unforeseen changes in their environment unfolded. It was impossible to miss the fear in her gentle eyes that were reminiscent of a blossom’s petals. It seemed he had been able to shatter her mask after all.

Claude smiled at her automatically, finally answered her question in a tone that seethed with animosity:

“My head, for you to mount on a wall.”

Perhaps he had lied about having run out of schemes; the ever lovely Edelgard had walked right into his final bow.

Her complexion was already naturally pale but her face became a ghastly white. She didn’t move, stood immobile in the midst of the roaring inferno. She resembled a lone flower on a vast, barren terrain that had yet to feel the sun’s morning warmth. Claude fancied himself as the phantom wind that could pick up in strength at any moment’s notice, pushing her to see her duties through, carrying the ashes she had left in the wake of her war and delivering them to her bloodstained hands.

Claude turned away from Edelgard for the last time, waving over his shoulder in farewell. He retreated into the everlasting darkness that awaited him at the end of the blazing chamber.

“Goodbye, Edelgard. Tell Teach I said ‘hi’.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was very spur of the moment so it's not amazing lol the first time I played Crimson Flower, I spared Claude because of COURSE I did. but in my Maddening run I just completed, I made a vow that I would end Claude's whole career. so I did. & I hated every second of it. so I vented all of my anguish out in fic form because that's how I be lol thanks if you made it this far & I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/toast_ryu) where I cry about clod & byleth all day sobss


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